How to Choose an Interior Designer in Nairobi: 10 Questions to Ask

Choosing an interior designer in Nairobi is a meaningful decision. The right professional does more than select colours and furniture. They help you understand what is possible, make good decisions with your budget, coordinate the work, and turn a design concept into a finished space.

Whether you are furnishing a new home, renovating an apartment, opening a hospitality venue, or fitting out an office, the questions you ask before appointing a designer can shape the entire experience. A polished portfolio is important, but it is only one part of the picture.

Here are ten practical questions to ask before choosing an interior designer in Nairobi.

1. What kind of projects do you specialise in?

Start by looking for relevant experience. A designer who mainly works on single-room residential projects may not be the right fit for a hotel, office, or whole-house design and build. Equally, a large commercial practice may not offer the personal attention you want for your home.

Ask to see projects with a similar scale, property type, and level of finish. Look beyond the photographs. Ask what the designer was responsible for and whether the work included space planning, technical drawings, sourcing, construction, installation, or only decoration.

2. Can I see completed projects, not just concept images?

A concept board can show taste. A completed project shows delivery.

Ask to see finished work and, where possible, understand the journey from the first brief to the final installation. A strong interior design portfolio should give you a sense of how the studio handles different materials, rooms, architectural conditions, and practical requirements.

It is also worth asking whether the photographs show the designer's own work. Clear project descriptions, consistent photography, and specific explanations of the scope are useful signs of a practice that is comfortable standing behind its work.

3. What exactly is included in your service?

“Interior design” can mean different things from one firm to another. Before comparing quotations, ask for a clear description of what is included.

Initial consultation and site assessment
Space planning and concept development
Furniture, finishes, lighting, and colour specifications
Technical and architectural drawings
Procurement and supplier coordination
Construction or installation management
Snagging, styling, and final handover

At Terry Interior Designs, clients can engage us for a focused space consultation, a complete full interior design service, or a design and build project. Clarifying the service at the beginning helps prevent gaps later.

4. Who will manage the project day to day?

Design decisions are only part of a successful project. Someone must coordinate suppliers, trades, deliveries, site access, timelines, approvals, and changes.

Ask who your main point of contact will be, how often you will receive updates, and how issues are recorded and resolved. If several contractors are involved, ask who is responsible for coordination. A named project lead can make communication much easier than a collection of separate conversations.

For larger or more complex work, ask whether the designer provides project management and construction management as part of the appointment or as a separate service.

5. How do you develop and control a budget?

A good designer should be comfortable discussing money early. The budget should cover more than furniture. Depending on the project, it may include drawings, joinery, electrical work, lighting, flooring, paint, curtains, upholstery, appliances, delivery, installation, taxes, and professional fees.

Ask how the budget is prepared, how allowances are shown, and how changes are approved. You should know what happens if a preferred material becomes unavailable or a site condition requires additional work.

The National Construction Authority provides public information about Kenya's construction sector and regulatory environment. It is a useful reference when considering the wider responsibilities involved in a construction or fit-out project.

6. Do you provide drawings and written specifications?

Drawings and schedules turn ideas into instructions. They help a contractor understand dimensions, finishes, joinery details, lighting positions, materials, and installation requirements.

Ask what documents you will receive and at which stage. Depending on the scope, these may include measured drawings, furniture layouts, reflected ceiling plans, elevations, joinery drawings, finish schedules, and procurement schedules.

For architectural or building work, ask how the interior designer coordinates with the relevant registered professionals. The Board of Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors is the official Kenyan professional body for architects and quantity surveyors, and its resources help explain why professional roles and registration matter on building projects.

7. How do you handle procurement and sourcing?

Beautiful specifications are only useful when the specified items can be sourced, delivered, checked, and installed properly. Ask whether your designer sources locally, internationally, or through both channels.

Clarify who places orders, who checks quality, how lead times are tracked, and how delivery and storage are managed. Ask whether the procurement schedule identifies quantities, suppliers, costs, and expected arrival dates.

Terry Interior Design's procurement and sourcing service covers specification, supplier identification, ordering, quality inspection, logistics, and delivery tracking. The same questions are useful when comparing any interior design company in Nairobi.

8. How do you work with contractors and other professionals?

Interior projects often involve builders, electricians, plumbers, joiners, curtain makers, upholsterers, architects, quantity surveyors, and specialist suppliers. Ask how these relationships are managed and where responsibility sits.

A designer should be able to explain how the design is communicated to the site team, how quality is checked, and how disagreements are handled. If you already have a contractor, ask how the designer will work with them. If you need a complete team, ask whether the designer can recommend suitable professionals and coordinate their work.

9. What is the agreement, payment schedule, and change process?

Before work begins, make sure the scope, fees, responsibilities, programme, deliverables, payment stages, and cancellation terms are written down. Ask how variations are priced and approved before the work proceeds.

It is sensible to take independent professional advice on any contract that you do not understand.

Written clarity is not a sign of mistrust. It gives both the client and designer a shared reference throughout the project.

10. How do you design for the way I actually live or work?

The best interior is not simply the most photographed one. It is the one that supports the people using it.

Tell the designer how you move through the space, what you need to store, how you entertain, whether children or pets use the room, how much maintenance you want, and which pieces matter to you. For a commercial or hospitality project, discuss the customer journey, staff movement, durability, cleaning, safety, and accessibility.

What should you look for in the first meeting?

Pay attention to how the designer listens. Do they ask about your priorities, constraints, timeline, and budget? Do they explain their process clearly? Are they comfortable saying when an idea may not be practical?

You should leave the first meeting with a better understanding of the next step, not more uncertainty. A professional designer will not need to promise that every project will be effortless. They should be able to explain how they make complex decisions manageable.

Good design is not only what a space looks like at the reveal. It is how confidently the project moves from the first conversation to the finished room.

Choosing a Nairobi interior design partner

Terry Interior Designs has been creating residential, commercial, and hospitality interiors since 2000. Our work combines space planning, design development, procurement, project management, construction coordination, and in-house soft furnishings.

View the portfolio, explore our services, or contact Terry Interior Designs to discuss your space. We begin by understanding what the project needs, then recommend the clearest way forward.